AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) was discovered in the early 80s. Within a few decades, it has spread in a very rapidly with more than 15 million victims the world over. Following the 2008 report of the WHO (World Health Organization), Sub-Saharan Africa represents ¾ of the aforementioned figure. Cameroon’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is estimated at 5.5% and the age group ranges from 15-24. The prevalence rate in relation to young men stands at 1.2% and 4.3% for young women. Such a situation is a challenge for the government of the Republic and all actors involved in the fight against the pandemic such as NGO ASSEJA.

In line with the improvement of the living conditions of the disadvantaged children and groups in the neighbourhoods benefitting its support, ASSEJA carries out activities concerning the fight against HIV/AIDS since 1994 through actions in favour of the populations in general and youths in particular. In fact, AIDS is at the same time the cause and consequence of the precarious level of living of its victims. Carrying out actions against this pandemic has enabled ASSEJA, through the various projects and programmes, to contribute in collaboration with other actors, to the amelioration, prevention and reduction of this disease affecting the population.

  

HIV/AIDS free screening campaign

ASSEJA’s credit for being recognized as the best Cameroonian NGO for the year 2008 is justified by a number of projects and programs including HIV / AIDS project, implemented in collaboration with the youths, vulnerable groups and many partners. These include:

 AERY (Support to Street Children in Yaounde) implemented in two phases: the identification and support phases. This project which was implemented in Yaounde led to the provision of support to the street children found in this city.

 AGVDEL (Support to Vulnerable Groups and Local Development). This project lasted three years (from October 2003 to November 2006) and was implemented in the cities of Yaounde, Bertoua and in the LEKIE Division and about 2244 most vulnerable people were touched i.e. street children, youths and women carrying out different craft activities and parents of underprivileged children.

  -ARJO "Support to the Social and Professional Reintegration of Underprivileged Children and Youths and HIV / AIDS Orphans) started in January 2006, for the socio-economic rehabilitation of OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) through professional training. This project was implemented in Yaounde, Bertoua and Ambam.

-  ICOGESPUR pilot phase (Support Programme in Favour of Community Initiatives, Vulnerable Groups and Participatory Urban Management) started in 2005 and went effective in 2006. This programme led to the various achievements: educative talks and awareness campaigns in families and communities.

-REVE-NORD (Reduce the vulnerability of children in North Region of Cameroon) was implemented in Maroua.

-APESIDA (Integrated Project to Support Communities in the Prevention and Reduction of the HIV/AIDS Impact) was implemented in 2006 and 2007 in the cities of Yaounde, Douala, Kumba, Edea, Abong-Mbang and Ambam.

Partner projects
 The PNS-OEV or "National Support Programme for OVC" in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS) was implemented in the Mvila and Ntem Valley Divisions, and in which the MINAS provided different forms of support to OVC;

Actions

Public awareness campaigns: They are carried out on the field by a team of facilitators, resource persons, medical personnel and some artists in order to inform and educate as many people as possible on HIV / AIDS. This is an opportunity for voluntary and free testing.

The testimony of people living with HIV / AIDS
A resource person, usually a person living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA), gives a public testimony about how they contracted the disease and rules of prevention and healthy living in order to educate and encourage incredulous populations to adopt a responsible lifestyle.

 Educative meetings are organized with youths during which topics such as AIDS are discussed. The target population has mostly been the youths living in the rural areas.

Production of books and articles: Manuals and publications in basic French have been produced with the aim to inform, educate and sensitize the youths on HIV / AIDS.

Seminars: Training and / or residential seminars with the youths have been held for the capacity building of the youths and also with the aim to educate and train them regarding the difficulties surrounding HIV / AIDS.

Radio and TV programmes: Through these programmes, a good number of people were educated throughout the national territory.

 Sketches: They constitute a recreational form of awareness. They induce laughter while conveying a message.

Talks with parents and youths/children: This is done with the intent to arouse their awareness on responsible parenting so that they can become better parents for their children, advising and educating them on the AIDS pandemic

Monitoring and support for OVC and infected persons: Nutritional and medical support was given to HIV/AIDS infected persons. This support also helped orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) to continue their education and for others to learn a trade.
During the past decade, ASSEJA had partnership ties with several organizations. 02 projects were implemented within the framework of these partnerships.

ACMS: Cameroon Association for Social Marketing.

IRESCO: Institute for Research, Socio-economic Development and Communication

+ RECAP: Cameroonian Network of People Living with HIV / AIDS

Concerning logistics, ASSEJA has received thousands of didactic materials (magazines, posters), condoms, but also resource persons (PLWHA) for public testimonies during HIV/AIDS public awareness campaigns.

Health: Infected persons were referred to hospitals and health centres in charge of PLWH. (Central hospital, Cite Verte hospital, the Djoungolo Protestant hospital, Ambam hospital, Bonassama hospital etc…)

• Identification of orphans and vulnerable children for a proper socio professional, nutritional and sanitary care

• Identification of persons living with HIV/AIDS and orientation towards care provision units

• Assumption of responsibility for persons people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS

• Organisation of voluntary screening and orientation towards care provision units

• Organisation of public sensitization, media and or workshop campaigns to cause the public to adopt responsible behaviours.

• Organisations of educative talks and training sessions with parents and youths.

• Counselling and orientation of affected persons

• Nutritional Education for persons living with HIV/AIDS

• Education on life for orphans and vulnerable children

• Support to income generating activities for a durable socio economic integration

  Résultats

  •  Public sensitization campaigns animated in Etoudi ; Oyom-Abang, Cité Verte, Bertoua, Ambam

Educative talks with parents

Educative talks with youths during residential seminars and open door days;

More than 70 orphans and vulnerable children constantly supported

An important number of persons living with HIV/AIDS have been supported

Several OVCs are learning a trade under the auspices/support of ASSEJA.

Mobilisation of communities for voluntary testing through organisation of 160 educative talks.

• Accompaniment of 4 000 people to voluntary testing

• Share in the expenses of displacement towards screening centres for 2 000 people

• Accompaniment of 200 youths for voluntary screening during a youth forum organised within the framework of the ACMS TRUSTED PARTNERS project.

• Assumption of responsibility for therapeutic pre assessments for 700 poor PLWAs

• Support for treatment expenses for opportunistic infections for 700 poor PLWA

• Facilitation of displacement towards CTA/UPEC for 350 PLWAs by degree of indigence

• Nutritional support to 140 PWLAs per degree of indigence

• Social enquiries and selection of 1 600 AIDS orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs)

• School, sanitary and nutritional support to 1600 OVCs

• Assumption of responsibility for the school fees of 800 OVCs in primary school

• Purchase of school needs for 800 OVCs in primary school

• Support for medical expenses (consultations, examinations or ordinances) for 1 600 OVCs

• Nutritional support to 320 families of OVCs (that is to say 960 children) by degree of indigence

• Organization of 2 series of training of trainers on Community assumption of responsibility for PLWAs and OVCs for 40 animators by ASSEJA and its partners

Framework of action

• Support project for social and professional rehabilitation of young people in difficulties and HIV/AIDS orphans

• Support project to vulnerable groups and local urban development

• Integrated project for accompaniment of communities in the prevention and reduction of the impact of HIV/AIDS

 

3- ACHIEVEMENTS

1) ASSEJA’s projects

The AERY project recorded the following achievements:

 -22 sessions on STIs and HIV /AIDS;
 -02 booklets on STIs and HIV / AIDS produced;
- 63 sensitizations with parents in homes;
 -01 seminar for the integration HIV/AIDS in projects / programme strategies in Africa.

The AGVDEL project registered the following achievements:
 -9 awareness campaigns on HIV / AIDS in Yaounde and Bertoua;
 -16 education sessions;
 -11 newsletters;
 -09 sketches and educative games;
 -01 training session for HIV/AIDS peer educators,

The ARJO project has registered the following achievements:

 -17 awareness campaigns;
 -14 education sessions;
 -05 open days;
 -06 educational talks;
 -03 sketches presented;
 -12 radio and TV programmes;
 -06 newspaper articles;
 -01 booklet produced.

The ICOGESPUR programme, which is still underway has already registered the following achievements:

 -12 public awareness campaigns;
 -05 information seminars;
 -10 newsletters;
 -02 open days;
- 06 education sessions and seminars;
 Advocacy for the appropriate usage of drugs with the African Synergy;

Advocacy for support in favour of Persons living with HIV and their accessibility to medication at the level of the PATAM, RECAP+ and CARE

 

APRESIDA registered the following achievements:

-170 educative talks for the 7443 people touched;

-the screening of 3317 persons;

-about 1500 persons referred to screening centres

-645 persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), that is to say

-Pre medical therapy charges for 303 persons

-252 persons received medical treatment against opportunistic diseases

-and 90 persons received nutritional assistance

-1600 OVC benefited academic, health and feeding support
 -The NSP OVC led to the identification, care provision and multi dimensional support to 432 OVC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health in the MVILA in 2007 and to 864 others in the Ntem Valley and MVILA Divisions in 2008 and 2009

To this effect, many important ceremonies were organized during which school materials and nutritional support were distributed to the OVC identified in the South region by ASSEJA.

 4-IMPACTS

After fighting against the aids pandemic for more than a decade, it could be attested that 50.000 persons (men, women and youths) have been sensitized and are better informed on the means of transmission and prevention of STDs and HIV/AIDS.

To this effect, parents and youths have adopted positive sexual attitudes.

 As for the youths, ASSEJA’s target population, they have become more aware about the HIV/AIDS related dangers. This even explains the reduction of the STD s, unwanted pregnancies, young mothers or the HIV/AIDS contamination (almost all the children sponsored by ASSEJA were tested and their results proved negative).

As for the parents; they were sensitized and educated on this disease and they can now better advise their children.

 
More than 2,000 identified OVC have been sponsored by ASSEJA; some have returned to school; others have learned a trade and have become financially independent.
At the institutional level, ASSEJA has partnered with many private and public structures and the outcome of this partnership has led not only to the effective fight against AIDS, but has equally enabled Orphans and Vulnerable Children to benefit some forms of support.
The psychological state of these persons has been improved upon and they now appreciate life and have decided to neither become a danger nor maliciously and voluntarily transmit the virus. They have been socio-economically reintegrated and are today helping their families and serving their country.